Wrestling looks to put a stop to a two dual meet losing streak against conference opponents.

The Huskies (7-5, 0-3 MAC) will host Eastern Michigan (6-10, 0-2 MAC). NIU will then host the Missouri Tigers (8-1, 0-1 MAC), MAC newcomers (for wrestling) and ranked seventh, on Saturday.

NIU is coming off a hard-fought loss against the 11th ranked Chippewas of Central Michigan, 23-12. The Huskies were unable to hold onto a 9-7 after the dual meet’s first five matches.

After halftime, CMU would won four of the last five matches and staved off NIU’s upset bid.

Head coach Ryan Ludwig said that despite losing two in a row, his team has to maintain a positive attitude and forget about what happened last week.

“Each match is a new match, each week is a new week of wrestling and you go out there and you compete with a positive mindset and you believe in your attacks and good things are going to happen,” Ludwig said. “Our guys are training hard. They are doing the right things and they’re making advances every week.”

Eastern Michigan comes in to Saturday’s action losing four of their last five dual meets, including a loss last weekend against MAC rival the University of Buffalo.

Missouri split two duals last weekend by defeating North Dakota State, 37-7, and suffering its first defeat of the season against 12th ranked Central Michigan, 17-16.

Ludwig said his team can’t look ahead to its second dual on Saturday against the Tigers: The wrestlers will need to focus on their first opponent, the Eagles of Eastern Michigan.

“First we’re focusing on Eastern Michigan,” Ludwig said. “Those guys are going to come to wrestle. They’re scrappy so we’re going to need to take the fight to them, you know? We’re looking forward to that match and then of course Missouri is a very highly ranked team. Each match in that dual is an opportunity for our guys to become ranked nationally, so we’re looking forward to that challenge.”

One of those many challenges comes in the form of the top ranked heavyweight in the country, Missouri’s Dom Bradley.

The man faced with the task of wrestling Bradley, NIU redshirt junior Jared Torrence, said he welcomes the challenge.

“I mean, to be the best you got to wrestle the best,” Torrence said. “I’m pretty used to going against top ranked opponents now and it’s just another match where I got to go out there and wrestle my hardest.”